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By: Deji Kuye on 02:13/comment : 2

NEW RENAISSANCE

1.THE
DOCTRINE ON MONEY

I
was in a gathering of saints at Iju on the eleventh of September, 2016
worshipping God. The service was glorious and powerful. But during the Sunday
School the teacher had taught us that many Christians in the end time run after
money instead of running after or with God. After the teaching, I asked, ‘‘Sir,
is money really bad.’’ Others were marvelled at my question and must have
thought of me as a strange fellow or a babe in Christ. The teacher, looking at
me fixedly, answered me scripturally and logically, trying to be simple as
addressing a babe, to convince me and make me decide to take his answer as a
truth.

‘‘Well,
my brother, money is bad. The Bible says that money is the root of all evil.’’ I
should deduce as he expected that evil is bad and so money is definitely bad
and that the root of evil is worse, being the most important thing to be
destroyed if evil must be eliminated. He said, ‘‘Remember Christ said that we
should seek first the Kingdom of God and all other things shall be added unto
thee. It is a pity that many Christians now run after money whereas it is money
that should be running after us.’’

I
clearly understood his fear that running after many would cause someone to
forsake God. That, of a truth, is worth a consideration. Nevertheless, beyond
the ken of my teacher’s fear of money, I knew money is not the root of all
evil. Money is good, great and given. I wanted to ask series of questions, scripturally
and logically but The Holy Ghost forbade me. I realised there’s nothing I could
have said within that limited time that would do good. So I kept quiet. I had
regretted speaking when the Holy Ghost forbade me, twice and I had prayed for
mercy. I had learnt that my intention or zeal would be to blame if it does not
comply with the leading of the Holy Ghost. It would be self-glorifying and self-destructive
to query further. Now, when the people had gathered from different classes a
brother asked a question, ‘‘can we do evangelism without money?’’ I listened to
the pastor’s response interestedly. And he was categorical in his assertion
that ‘‘we cannot do evangelism without money.’’

He
asked questions, ‘‘with what do we print tracts? With what do we get microphone
and speakers in cases of crusade? With what do we transport? If we would give
free copies of Bible with what are we going to do that? If we want to build a ‘church’
with what are we going to do that near the people?’’ He said it’s impossible to
evangelise without money. I liked that better even if I still wanted to examine
the word impossible because I prefer the word ‘difficult’ to ‘impossible’ in
any case.

He
was right. Wasn’t he? But Jesus didn’t use microphone when he gave Sermon on
the Mount and Peter, on the day of Pentecost, didn’t use a microphone, we might
want to argue. We’d be right because both Jesus and Peter didn’t. But we need
to consider a great role that money play in the sustenance of the early church.
Converts chose to join the disciples and thus joined the church. We are made to
know that Peter preached ‘‘And all that believed were
together, and had all things common; And sold
their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need
(Acts 2:44-45). I think Peter would not agree that it was wrong for those people
to possess portions of land or houses or wealth. Part of soul winning is
sharing. Sharing the word? That’s the basis and the main but sharing, in terms
of what is needed such as food, clothing, money, shelter and rendering of help,
financially, professionally and in other ways, is importantly part of soul
winning. Money is needed now as it was needed then. We also read, ‘‘And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart
and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he
possessed was his own; but they had all things common (Acts 4:32).’’ The
church would have been the scariest group to join if it were a gathering of immiseration
or an assembly of celebration of impoverishment. The converts had become sheep
of God and had joined the sheepfold. And their shepherd is the Lord. They shall
not want. In fact, the church must be rich albeit not for ranking sake but for
welfare-of-the-saints’ sake since selfishness must not be part of the church:

Neither
was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands
or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold, And laid them down at the apostles' feet: and
distribution was made unto every man according as he had need. And Joses, who by
the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, (which is, being interpreted, The son of
consolation,) a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus, Having land, sold
it, and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles' feet (Acts 4:35-37).

We
must note the clause, ‘and brought the money.’ Which
money? The money they had made. I do know that many would start to argue again
that the money is strictly what the made by selling their possessions, implying
that it’s ungodly to own houses or portions of land. We may need to remind such
people that in Paul’s journey he had lodge in some people’s houses and in some
of his epistles he had spoken of ‘the church in their house.’ We read, ‘‘Likewise
greet the church that is in their house. Salute my well-beloved Epaenetus, who
is the firstfruits of Achaia unto Christ (Romans 16:5).’’ That should quell any
anti-housing dogma.

As the Pastor answered the brother’s question, he affirmed that
the church really needs money to further the course of evangelism. But I was
taught that money is bad by one of the Sunday
School teachers. The way I looked at it, the response I got in the class
wasn’t the teacher’s view but that denomination’s stance on money. I knew that
because others, members of that church were surprised at my question and they
were pleased with the teacher’s answer. They had consented with nods. So, I began
to wonder if money is good only when it’s used for evangelism. I wanted the
Holy Ghost to tell me more and let me know if being rich or very rich is
forbidden for the children of the Kingdom who really are on The Way. And one thing
is for certain, the Holy Ghost is our counsellor, our teacher our guide and our
ready help in time of confusion. I rested assured He would teach me more. That’s
Him. One way or another, sooner or later as it pleases Him or perhaps as it
depends on my attentiveness; He would explain to me things that bother my mind,
especially concerning scriptures, doctrines and the Kingdom. That’s why
Christians need Him intimately.

Wosel: Words, Sense and Essence of Life's Admin

2 comments:

Caleb
said...

Money money money----- I really don't think money is evil but the love of money---- money should not be relied upon anyway instead of God-----and the Best way to prevent this is to be a very open giver **always believing that all things belongs to God----so be rich-*pray for God's huge blessings-be exceedingly rich like Isaac-***and then give to the poor **that's why God gave u the money all along ***but the point is some chronic Christians are still afraid to be rich ***after all the Bible says to ensure hardship tribulations like a good soldier of Christ